Champions League is painful viewing but Kyle Walker is spurred on by Europe's elite

Watching Champions League football on television is a delight for those who love the game yet for Kyle Walker, the experience is considerably less enjoyable.

Like millions of others, the Tottenham defender will tune in this evening as Manchester United and Manchester City take on Real Sociedad and CSKA Moscow respectively, while on the European mainland, Juventus play Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich are also in action.

Tomorrow night will be even tougher for Walker, as Chelsea and Arsenal — the teams who beat Spurs to qualification for the world’s premier club competition in each of the last two seasons — resume their challenge.

While Chelsea meet Schalke and the Gunners travel to Borussia Dortmund, who were beaten in the Wembley final earlier this year, Spurs contemplate a far more low-key assignment: Thursday’s home game with Moldovan club Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League. Walker is careful to say all the right things about the tournament but it is clear that the absence from White Hart Lane of the Champions League — a competition in which the 23-year-old has yet to play — continues to eat away at him.

“It is difficult to watch those games,” he told Standard Sport. “It has been two seasons now. We finished fourth in 2012 but missed out because Chelsea beat Bayern in the final.

“And then last year, Arsenal pipped us by one point, so it is always hard. You sit there and watch those matches and know that you have a game later in the week but we’re in a good competition, too.

“The Europa League isn’t a Mickey Mouse competition. I’d love to go and win it and get some medals under my belt for Tottenham.”

Walker was not involved with the first team during Tottenham’s only Champions League campaign to date.

The England right-back had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa during the 2010-11 season, when Harry Redknapp’s side created a considerable surprise by reaching the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Real Madrid.

The victories over Inter Milan and AC Milan were the most memorable moments of a year that launched Gareth Bale as one of the most talented young players on the planet.

Bale has since left north London and should play for his new team, Madrid, in Turin tonight.

Without him, Spurs have made a solid start to the season, taking 20 points from their opening 10 matches to move level on points with second-placed Chelsea and Liverpool in third.

There is plenty of competition for a top-four finish yet Walker believes Spurs will have failed if they do not take one of those spots.

“Watching the Champions League does spur you on and qualifying for it is the minimum we should be aiming for,” said Walker. “We have fantastic players and, hopefully, we do get that top-four place.

“If we don’t, it will have been a disappointing season for us. Can we aim even higher than that? Why not? We’re right in the mix at the moment although it’s still early in the season. We need to keep playing as we have been and hopefully at the end of the year, we’ll still be right up there.

“When you look at our defence, the clean sheets we’ve been keeping as a back five have been fantastic. We just need to keep grinding out results and I’m sure the goals will come. We just need to get in the top four this year and, fingers crossed, we do it.”

There is a good chance that Walker, who has started all 10 of Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures this season, will be rested for the match against Sheriff. Andre Villas-Boas knows a win will book his side’s place in the knockout stages but the head coach is mindful of the need to manage his squad, with Spurs actively involved in three competitions.

Home-grown forward Harry Kane could be handed a starting berth at White Hart Lane after his impressive appearance as a substitute in the Capital One Cup tie against Hull last week, which Spurs won on penalties.